Chapter Two: Reactions

"Um, hello?"

Niki looked up at the sound of an unfamiliar girl's voice. "Hi."

Bella stopped in front of her, eyeing the sword. "I haven't seen you around here," she said cautiously.

Sheathing her katana, Niki shrugged. "I just moved in a little ways from here. I'm staying with a friend right now."

"Really? Who?" Maybe, Bella thought, she would recognize the name.

Although Niki was actually quartering with Emily, she was really here on Jacob's invitation in the first place, so she saw no reason to bring Emily's name into it. "Jacob Black."

Bella instantly stiffened, eyes narrowing. Was this the girl that Jacob had imprinted on?

Niki frowned at the dirty look she was receiving. "What the hell is that look for?"

"What look?" Bella snapped.

"That one. The one you're giving me right now." Niki's frown deepened. "Was it something I said?"

"No—uh—listen, are you the girl Jacob imprinted on?"

It was starting to make a little more sense to Niki. Oh, is THAT how it is? She buried the smile that was trying to emerge. "Yeah," she said sweetly. "Let me guess. You must be Bella Swan! Oh, Leah's told me all about you."

Bella bit her lip. Leah Clearwater was not happy with her.

"Well, listen here, you," Bella snapped. "Jacob's been through a lot, okay? If you do anything to hurt him, I will break your face."

Niki's chest tightened with so much anger, she thought she would explode. Slowly, she drew the katana from its sheath and walked quietly toward Bella.

Bella shifted nervously, thinking, She won't really cut me with that, will she? No, she can't...

Poking the point of her katana at Bella's chest, Niki spoke in a sugary sweet voice. "Oh, Bella," she sighed. "Bella, Bella, Bella. I understand your concern, of course. I mean, I, as the woman in his life, would understand much better than the fucking slut who dragged him through every level of hell. And he followed you, too, didn't he, Bells? He would have done anything for you." She smiled sweetly. "It isn't my fault that you threw that away. It isn't Jacob's. It's not even your bloodsucking boyfriend's—Edward, isn't it?" No offense, Edward, she thought. "Ah, Edward. Yes, he is cute. Not that I'm really concerned about that—I have Jacob—but Gracie seemed pretty happy under his protection." She sighed dotingly. "They are so sweet together."

"You lying bitch," Bella whispered in horror, then clapped her hand over her mouth. She had never cursed before.

Niki chuckled. "Oh, are we talking about you, now? I hadn't noticed the change of subject." She gave her most syrupy-sweet smile with her most blackly furious eyes. "As I recall, you were the one who told Jacob you loved him, and then ran off with Edward." Niki shook her head sadly. "Alas, poor Jacob. Fortunately for you, I don't think he even remembers what you did to him, anymore. I think he's forgotten almost everything." She laughed. "That is, except his imprinting." Bella understood the connotation; except for me.

Without thinking, Bella lifted her hand to slap Niki in the face. In one fluid motion, the katana slid back into its sheath, Niki twisted Bella's striking arm, and, with the heel of her hand, the black-haired girl broke Isabella Swan's nose.

Bella screamed, the agony in her face overriding even the shallow cut across her chest. She wrenched away from Niki, holding her nose with both hands and screaming. Niki thought she heard someone laughing in the trees, but it could have been her imagination.

Niki smiled sympathetically. "As I recall, you were the one planning on breaking faces tonight." Tilting her head to one side, the smile frozen on her face in a terrifying display, she asked, "How's that working out for you?"

Bella snarled at her.

Just to add insult to injury—to twist the knife (or the katana), so to speak—Niki leaned conspiratorially closer to her, as though they were great friends sharing a secret. "I wouldn't advise going over to the Cullens' right now," she said pleasantly. "I've heard that Jasper gets a little bit out of control around blood. The others might restrain him, but, well..." she shrugged, "accidents happen. He might, oh, I don't know, maybe... eat you?"

Not caring about the fact that a stranger knew so much about the Cullens, Bella fled, Nikita Shahar's laughter ringing in her ears.

Niki frowned at the trees. "Alright, I know you're in there," she said, swinging her katana up to point in the direction that the laughter had come from earlier. "Come on out."

Paul emerged from the trees, shaking with restrained laughter. "Oh, poor Jacob," he crowed. "He doesn't know what a little monster he has on his hands!" Lifting one hand, palm out, he said, "Give me one of these, Tinkerbelle."

Niki reached up to give him a high-five, hopped once, then put her hands on her hips and pouted. "I can't reach."

"Oh. Sorry." He held his hand lower, and she slapped it. "Hey, um, just so I don't get on your bad side... because, after today, I really don't want to get on your bad side... any rules of thumb for me to follow with you?"

"Well, don't ever compare me to Bella Swan, because there is no comparison," Niki said pleasantly. "She is infinitely more of a bitch than I am, but I, Paul... I am the Dark Side." She frowned suddenly, serious. "And listen—this is important. Never tickle me. Never, ever, ever, ever tickle me anywhere, for any reason." She glared fiercely at him. "Especially not my sides, or I swear I'll break something. You got that?"

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted her. "Is that it?"

"One more thing. Don't tell Edward I called him a bloodsucker, okay? Gracie will get mad at me. She likes Edward. I can tell."

"Uh... okay."

"So, tell me something, Paul. You were spying on me, weren't you?"

He shrugged.

"Did Jacob put you up to it?"

A nod. "He had to help Billy with something and couldn't watch you himself."

"Ah... he is paranoid, isn't he?"

Another nod.

"Well, I'm glad it was you that witnessed this event, and not Jacob. And if you tell Jacob about what you saw... you'll be next."

Wide eyes.

"Just kidding, Paul." She looked off into the distance, suddenly pensive. "Honestly, though... you should tell him. He has a right to know." She forced a smile. "A guy's gotta know what the merchandise really is before he buys it, right?" A guy's gotta know that his girl is a witch before he hands over his heart, right?

Paul chuckled. "I'll let him know, but I want you to know something, too... Jacob's gonna be real happy having his hands full with you for the rest of his life."

Niki nodded. "Thanks, Paul." I hope so. I want to make Jacob happy.

Later, once they had reached Jacob's house, he came running out to meet them. Paul walked forward, placed one hand on Jacob's shoulder and said, very solemnly, "Jacob... you're doomed."

Niki laughed her pure, clear, innocent laugh as Paul walked off. Jacob looked at sweet, energetic, tiny little Niki... and she flashed him the evilest smile he had ever seen.

When Edward went to see Gracie in the basement, he found her sitting on the couch, with Jasper kneeling in front of her and speaking to her softly. Gracie was trembling violently.

Edward crouched by Jasper. "Are you okay?" he asked Gracie.

"No," she told him frankly. "I'm worried about what I'm going to do next time I go crazy like that. I almost attacked you, remember?"

"I would have been alright," Edward lied.

"No, you wouldn't have. Jasper told me the difference between old vampires and new ones. For the next year or so, I could kill you, if it came to that."

And the fact that she's so much more in control and possibly much more intelligent than any other newborn—well, that doesn't help your cause, Jasper thought to Edward.

"But you won't," Edward said gently, rising. "You have more control than that." He chuckled in dark humor. "More control than me, it would seem."

"Oh, stop that," she said sharply. "You can't keep blaming yourself for that. You were hunting. I was stupid."

"It wasn't your fault, either," Jasper pointed out dryly. "You can't have known that you stumbled onto a hunting ground for vampires. It was our fault for not reaching Edward in time."

"No, you can't blame yourselves," Edward informed him. "We all know I'm the fastest. No one expected you to catch me."

"Edward!" Rosalie called from upstairs. "Bella is here to see you."

Edward sighed and started for the stairs. Jasper rose. Gracie caught his sleeve. "Can I come out of the basement now?" she whispered.

"Of course." He took her hand and pulled her up, then followed Edward to the stairs.

Bella was standing in the main room, tapping her foot impatiently. When Edward appeared, she threw herself at him.

"Smm kerzy chk brk mah naws." Her voice was muffled, since her face was buried in his shirt.

"What?"

She looked up. "Some crazy chick broke my nose!"

"Oh, Bella..." he sighed. "Let me look." Tilting her face up to look at her now-crooked nose, he shook his head. "You're still my bad luck magnet, I see."

"Bad luck my foot! I went to see Jacob and there was this crazy girl on the border. She was tiny, and she was swinging a sword around..."

"Oh, Niki," Gracie sighed.

"I started talking to her, and I found out that Jake imprinted on her, and I just told her to be good to him. And then she basically attacked me! I couldn't come here earlier because I was bleeding all over the place and Jasper..." She threw a guilty look at the blonde vampire, who was standing away from her, as he always did. "So I couldn't come," she finished lamely.

Carlisle strode into the room, followed by Esme, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. "Oh, Bella. You're here already. Good. I'm afraid that the time for you to make a decision has come far too quickly." He frowned. "Something has happened. Our treaty has been torn asunder. We must leave at once." He glanced at her sharply. "You must choose, right now, whether to come with us."

Bella was frozen. Through white lips she spoke. "You mean—I have to become a vampire? Right now?"

"Heavens, no. If we tried to turn you now, you would be incapacitated for days. We haven't the time. But the wolves will be here soon, and you must decide whether you wish to be part of this family or not." He looked squarely at her. "We won't be coming back, Bella."

Bella bit her lip. "I'm coming," she whispered almost soundlessly.

Carlisle nodded. "Then get on Edward's back and let's go."

"Actually, Bella," Edward said in a low voice while the others talked amongst themselves, "would you mind terribly riding on Emmett's back today? I want to carry you, but Gracie is my responsibility."

Bella pressed her lips together, eyes flashing. "Gracie's a vampire. She can run."

"I know, Bells, but she's a newborn. I'm worried about her self-control. It's been good so far, but if she disappears or attacks someone while we're running, there'll be hell to pay. I need to keep her with me."

"Couldn't you and Alice find her?" Bella protested.

"No, she's immune to our talents. Bella, we really don't have time to argue about this. Please just go along with me."

"Why can't she ride on Emmett's back?"

"I already told you, Bella, she's my responsibility! We don't have time for this!" He swept her up, walked over to Emmett, and dumped her in his arms.

"Put me down," she told Emmett crossly.

"Sorry, Bells. No can do. Edward would have my ears." Emmett grinned his usual lopsided grin.

Edward knelt in front of Gracie. "Get on my back," he commanded.

Unsure, but unwilling to protest since everyone was obviously in a hurry, Gracie climbed onto his back and locked her arms around his neck. He rose, carrying her as easily as though she weighed little more than a doll.

"Try to keep your control," he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. "In this position, you could kill me in a second." Jasper had warned them about letting newborns get their arms around them, but Gracie was different.

"I'll be careful," she promised.

"Now, I don't know if you'll like running or not, but Bella was scared at first. If you want to close your eyes, that's okay."

"Bella was human," Gracie pointed out.

"Good point. But just in case..."

"I'll be fine."

"If everyone's ready, we need to leave now," Carlisle announced.

"Let's go!" Alice bounced on the balls of her feet, excited.

"Move out," Emmett commanded, holding the door open.

"For the last time, Niki, stay here!"

She frowned at Jacob, fingering her katana. "No. I'm going with you."

"You'll get hurt!"

"No, I won't. Jake, you can't make me stay behind."

"Yeah, let her come, Jake," Leah commented. "She could be some help."

"She'll probably scare the Cullens worse than we will," Paul muttered as he walked past.

"Why do you keep saying stuff like that?" Jacob yelled after him, but Paul didn't reply.

Leah, of course, having gotten the whole story from Niki herself, smirked. "Just wait until you see Bella, Jake," she said, satisfied.

"Bella?" Jacob repeated, confused. Realization dawned and he swung around to face Niki. "What did you do to Bella?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Niki said sweetly.

"Come on, you four," Sam called. "Niki, if you're coming, let's go."

Jacob leaned down swiftly, cupping Niki's face, and pressed his mouth to hers. "Just be careful, okay?" he whispered. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt, but if you're going to kiss me whenever I do something stupid and dangerous, I'll have to take up cliff diving."

He touched his lips to hers again. "I'll kiss you whenever you want me to. Whenever you let me."

"Come on, lovebirds!" Embry called. "We're moving on without you!"

Jacob shivered a little, then phased. He dropped to the ground and nodded for Niki to get on his back. Soon, they were off after the Cullens.

As they ran, Niki gripped Jacob's fur and enjoyed the fast-moving wind. Reaching up, she stroked him behind one ear. She though she heard him make a deep sound of pleasure in the back of his throat, but it was hard to tell with the whistling wind.

This, she thought, is going to be interesting.

They were halfway out of Forks when Edward stopped, cursing. Everyone else stopped and turned to look at him.

"They're two minutes away and moving fast," he said grimly. "We won't make it past them. We might as well stand and fight." Allowing Gracie to slide off his back, he turned to her and muttered, "I'm sorry to have to put you through this. I'm sorry I ruined your life. I'm sorry that it's my fault that soon you won't have a life to ruin."

To his utter shock, Gracie laughed. "We'll make it," she assured him. "Jasper told me the werewolves know how to fight newborns. But they'll expect me to be stupid." She grinned, showing gleaming white teeth. "They won't be expecting me to have any kind of fighting strategy."

Edward laughed, surprised. "You really are something else," he said admiringly.

She shrugged. "I'm Irish. What do you expect?"

Before he could reply, Alice spoke in a low voice, eyes open wide.

"They're here," she said simply.

Eyes glittered in the trees around them. One wolf howled, then the others joined in, until the entire pack—closing in on them—was howling.

Gracie felt Edward tense beside her. A low growl was emitting from his throat, golden eyes narrowed.

"Just breathe," she said, perfectly calm. "They'll never see us coming."

"I don't have to breathe, remember?" Edward snapped.

"It's a calming habit," Gracie replied, unperturbed.

Sam flickered into the trees and then walked back as a human, wearing ragged jeans and no shirt. "You broke the treaty," he told Carlisle flatly, getting straight to the point. His face was unreadable.

"Yes," Carlisle said softly.

Gracie stepped up next to him. "It was an accident," she informed Sam defensively. "If it was anyone's fault, it was mine, not theirs."

He flicked a glance at her. "Are you Gracie?"

She inclined her head. "I am."

Sam was about to speak, but was interrupted when a small, sharp voice rang through the gathered immortals. "No, Jacob. Put me down."

Gracie looked up, grinning incredulously. "Niki?"

Bella uttered a foul word.

Niki slid off of Jacob's back and ran to Gracie. Jacob whined and started after her, but Leah stopped him.

"Hey, bloodsucker!" Niki said with a grin. "Good to see at least one friendly face here!" Turning her attention to Bella, she smiled sweetly. "Hey, Bella, what happened to your face?"

"You did!" Bella snarled.

"This is the girl who broke your nose?" Emmett demanded disbelievingly.

"The one and only." Niki bowed.

Emmett turned away, his shoulders shaking with restrained laughter. Jacob whined again, obviously upset now that he had discovered what Niki did to Bella. Leah turned and disappeared into the woods. A moment later, the sound of her laughter floated back to them. She reappeared fully clothed, still laughing.

"Sorry," she said, grinning apologetically. "Human laughter is hard to contain in the shape of a wolf." She started laughing again.

"It's not funny," Bella said, miffed. Paul snapped his teeth at her.

"Enough!" Sam and Carlisle commanded at the same time, sounding like the strong leaders they were.

"I understand that it was a mistake," Sam told Carlisle, "but it was a mistake far too easily made. It may happen again."

"I don't think it will," Carlisle said softly. Then, with a furtive glance at Bella, he lowered his voice. "But I would prefer to discuss this in private. There are ears here that need not know of certain things at this time."

Sam nodded, and he and Carlisle vanished into the trees for a more private conference.

The situation had shifted. Instead of the werewolves ringing the vampires, it seemed that the two groups were on either side of an invisible line, with Niki and Gracie in the middle.

"It looks like we're Switzerland," Niki commented to Gracie.

"I don't think Switzerland ever had to threaten werewolves and vampires to keep the peace or be stabbed with a katana," Gracie responded dryly.

"Or have their throat torn out by another vampire," Niki reminded her. "So, you want to join me on the Dark Side? Emily makes us cookies."

Gracie shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Just because other vampires can't get along with werewolves—" she threw a glare at the Cullens and Bella— "doesn't mean I can't."

"Gracie, come away," Rosalie called.

"No, Rose, I'm joining the Dark Side," Gracie called back. "Come on over with us. They have cookies."

Rosalie made a face. "I'm a vampire, remember? I can't eat cookies."

"Neither can I, but it convinced me!"

Rosalie, who had a genuine affection for Gracie, shrugged and walked over to stand with them on the invisible line. "I might as well."

Alice suddenly appeared next to her with a mischievous grin. "So, cookies, huh?" she teased.

After that, the line more or less dissolved. Esme and Leah were the next additions, then Emmett, Jasper, Quil, and Embry.

Niki threw her hands up in the air. "Welcome to the Dark Side!" she yelled.

"Who would have guessed? Switzerland is the Dark Side," Gracie observed dryly.

"I'll be right back," Niki told her. "Keep an eye on the Dark Side for me. Make sure things don't get rowdy. Switzerland has a reputation to protect." Then she left the line to walk into werewolf territory.

Planting herself in front of Jacob, she announced, "I only broke her nose because she warned me away from you and then tried to slap me."

Jacob straightened up, snarling all the way across the trees at Bella. Niki smiled and stroked his furry throat.

"Come over to the Dark Side with us," she invited. "We have cookies." She smirked and leaned in to whisper, "Being in a crowd will help protect your virtue from me."

He leaned down to lick her delicately, then turned and vanished into the trees. When he reappeared, he was human and wearing torn jeans with holes in the knees.

"Dark Side, here I come," he said with his crooked grin.

Bella, across the trees, felt a pang of jealousy as she saw Jacob giving Niki her favorite smile. Her smile! Bella clenched her fists.

Edward glanced at her. Sensing her tension but unable to guess the reason for it, he placed both hands on her shoulders. "This'll be over soon," he murmured. "One way or another."

Paul walked over to the Dark Side, but not to join. "Tinkerbelle, come on, Sam's coming back..." He put his hands under her arms, on her ribs.

With a gasp, Niki swung around and punched him as hard as she could in the jaw.

Crack.

"Damn it, Paul!" Niki hissed. "I told you not to do that!"

He was staring at her with wide eyes, holding his broken jaw, unable to speak.

"Here." She reached up. "Let me see."

He had to bend over double to get his face within her reach. She pulled his hands away and prodded his jaw.

"Ow, dammit!"

"Yep, it's broken." Niki threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. "You big jerk, you made me punch you! Didn't I warn you? Didn't I?"

Leah was laughing. She gently pulled Niki off. "He'll be fine," she assured her. "In a few minutes he'll be good as new."

"What's all this?" Suddenly Sam was there. "What happened?"

"Niki broke Paul's jaw!" Quil told him cheerfully.

"Oh." Sam looked at Paul. "You'll be alright."

Paul rubbed his jaw and winced. "I know," he growled. Already, it was healed enough to talk.

Sam and Carlisle got everyone's attention. Sam told them that, for now, they were going to overlook the slip-up and allow things to continue as they had been. There were howls of disappointment from the werewolves, but aside from that, everyone took it fairly gracefully.

"There, see?" Edward told Bella, his arm around her shoulder. "False alarm. You still have time to decide, and you don't have to leave Charlie just yet."

That wasn't what was wrong with her—she was still remembering the adoring way Jacob had looked at Niki—but she forced a smile anyway, as though reassured.

While everyone else walked away, Niki and Gracie remained in the small clearing. "I guess it's just us on the Dark Side, now," Niki sighed. "I guess I'm the only one Emily will make cookies for." She shook her head with mock sadness.

"Not necessarily. You could get the werewolf Dark Side to invite the vampire Dark Side to Emily's for cookies. Of course the vampires can't eat the cookies, but it would be a good gesture." She grinned. "Maybe we can teach them to get along."

Niki laughed. "I'm game. Let's teach these dirty dogs and bad bloodsuckers a thing or two about Switzerland, shall we?"

They high-fived.

Gracie froze suddenly, frowning. "Do you smell that?" she whispered.

Niki shook her head. "She who smelt it, dealt it," she informed Gracie.

"No, it doesn't smell like that. It smells like... wet fur... and blood." Gracie's eyes widened. "Niki? You might want to leave..."

"Oh, come on, Gracie. Don't go crazy on me, we were having so much fun—"

Slowly, surely, with a sickly whispering sound, a form emerged from the trees.

It was a giant spider. Fangs clicking, green-and-black fur matted with dried blood, it advanced on Niki.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Niki was backing away, glancing frantically around for Gracie, who seemed to have vanished. "GRACIE! WHERE ARE YOU?"

The spider suddenly screamed. Gracie had somehow managed to haul herself onto its back and slam it on the back of the head with her locked fists. With a wild cry, she fastened her hands around about where its throat should be.

"Run, Niki!" she snarled, eyes blazing with a fighting fire.

Grimly, Niki drew her katana. "No way in hell." Drawing a deep breath, she leapt forward.

"What did you tell him?" Edward asked Carlisle.

"What are you talking about?" Carlisle kept his eyes forward.

"Sam. What did you tell Sam? To make him let us go?"

Carlisle slowed a little, causing Edward to slow in an attempt to keep pace. The doctor sighed. "You do know about the werewolves imprinting, don't you?"

"Yes," Edward said, confused as to where this was going. Carlisle was too good at keeping his thoughts focused on what he was saying now, never giving away where it was leading.

"Well," Carlisle said slowly, "imprinting is a lot like when a vampire finds their singer. The singer is something that Sam understands." He looked at Edward. "I needed him to understand exactly how unlikely it was that we would make this mistake again."

A memory of Carlisle's voice rang in Edward's ears. A one-in-three-billion chance. "Carlisle—you didn't—"

Carlisle looked at him squarely. "Yes. I did."

Edward breathed out slowly. "I'm in love with Bella," he reminded his surrogate father.

"I know that perfectly well, and I admire your self-control. But the truth was the only thing that was going to keep us from a fight right then and there, a fight I don't know that we could win."

"Gracie—" Edward began to protest.

"Gracie is one against many, and although she is an odd little vampire, not strength and cleverness could protect her in a fight with seven werewolves, much less against all ten—and the other three would come if a fight started." Carlisle frowned. "Even aside from all of that, I don't know that Gracie would fight against the werewolves even to save her own life. She seemed on very good terms with Nikita and Leah, at least. Sam would probably have just let her go anyway. He wouldn't blame her for us breaking the treaty."

"For me, you mean," Edward said darkly.

"You're the only one that blames you, Edward."

Edward looked away. "This is still my fault," he muttered.

"One way or another, it doesn't matter now. It's over."

Yet, Edward had the strange feeling that it was only beginning.